Dehumidifier for an automotive distributor



R. H. volGT 2,798,109

DEHUMIDIF'IER FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE DISTRIBUTOR July 2, 1957 Filed May 25, 1954 INV NTQR.

United States Patent DEHUMIDIFIER FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE DISTRIBUTOR Robert H. Voigt, Milford, Mich.

Application May 25, 1954, Serial No. 432,191

2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-146.5)

This invention relates to a dehumidier for an automotive distributor and has for its primary object to remove from the interior of the distributor moisture and moist air.

Another object is to facilitate the ready attachment of this dehumidifier to conventional automotive engines.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a vessel carried by an engine adjacent the exhaust manifold thereof and communicating through its bottom with the distributor of the engine, a desiccating substance within the vessel, a thermostatic valve carried by the vessel and having a port which opens when the valve attains a predetermined temperature and establishes by convection an upward ow of moisture laden air through the port.

Other features include an exhaust duct connected to the intake manifold and to the distributor for drawing dehydrated air from the vessel through the distributor.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a dehydrator embodying the features of this invention, showing sit connected to' an exhaust manifold and the distributorlof a conventional automotive engine;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line`2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is aside View of a modified form of the invention.

' Referring to the drawings in detail, an automotive engine lil'isfequipped with a conventional distributor 12 having the conventional rotor 14 and cap 16. The distributor is provided in its bottom with an opening 18 through which extends one end of a suitable tubular duct 20 of relatively small bore which is connected to the intake manifold of the engine 10 so that when the engine is in operation, the interior of the distributor 12 is under a minus pressure` Extending through the side of the distributor 12 adjacent the cap 16 is an opening 22 through which is threaded one end of a suitable duct 24, the opposite end of which is coupled in any conventional manner as by coupling 26 to the dehydrating vessel to be more fully hereinafter described.

Secured as by a strap 28 to the engine 10 adjacent the exhaust manifold thereof is my improved dehydrating vessel designated generally 30 which comprises a hollow body 32 having an opening 34 extending through the bottom thereof into which is connected a nipple 36 which is adapted to cooperate with the coupling 26 in connecting the duct 24 to the interior of the vessel 32. Carried by the nipple 36 and extending upwardly into the vessel is a nozzle 38 which serves to retain a suitable desiccating or dehydrating substance 40 in the vessel. As illustrated in the drawings, the upper end of the vessel is provided with external screw threads 42 with which a closure cap 44 is threadedly engaged to close the upper end of the vessel. This cap 44 is provided with a central opening 46 Cil 2,798,109 Patented July 2, 1957 Cef and carried by the cap 44 and rising upwardlyvtherefrom in concentric registering relation with the opening 46 is a neck 48 carrying at itsV upper edge an inwardly extending annular ange 50 defining a seat for a thermostatic valve 52. A cross bar 54 extends across the opening 46 on the interior of the cap 44 and carried by the valve 52 is a stem 56 which extends through the cross bar 54 and forms an abutment for one end of a compression coil spring 58, the opposite end of which bears on a head 60 carried by the stem 56 to yieldingly hold the valve 52 against the seat defined by a flange 50. A suitable thermo-responsive element 62 bears at one end on the cross bar 54 and at its opposite end on the underside of the valve 52 so that when the temperature of the engine 10 attains a predetermined value, the thermal responsive element 62 will expand to move the valve 52 against the effort of the spring 58 to establish communication between the interior of the vessel 32 and atmosphere.

In the structure so far defined, with the duct 20 connected to the intake manifold of the engine, it will be evident that when the temperature of the engine 10 attains a predetermined value, the valve 52 will open to establish a ow of air downwardly through the dehydrating substance 40, duct 24 and dehydrated air passing through the duct 24 will enter the interior of the distributor 12 to carry away any moisture contained therein and discharge it into the intake manifold of the engine. In this way, the distributor 12 is maintained free of moisture. When the engine ceases operation, and before the temperature thereof falls below that at which the thermostatic valve closes, a reverse action takes place and the moisture laden desiccant is reactivated by action of the moisture being drawn upwardly by convection. The reactivation takes place before the valve 52 closes. After the valve 52 closes, only moisture from the distributor may be absorbed as the vessel is shut off from the atmosphere.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, a vessel 64 conforming in all respects to the vessel 32 is mounted as by a strap 66 to an engine 68 and is connected through a duct 70 to a distributor 72 which conforms in all respects to the distributor 12 previously described. The vessel 64 is provided with a cap 74 conforming in all respects to the cap 44 and carrying a thermostatic valve 76 which conforms in all respects to the valve 52. In this type of device, when the valve 76 opens, moist air contained within the distributor 72 will be drawn upwardly by convection through the contents of the vessel 64 to dehydrate the interior of the distributot.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. In an engine of the type having a distributor, an exhaust manifold, and an intake manifold in which a minus pressure is maintained during the operation of the engine, means for dehydrating the distributor comprising a vessel carried by the engine adjacent the exhaust manifold and communicating through its bottom with the distributor, a desiccating substance within the vessel, a thermostatic valve carried by the vessel and having a port which opens when the valve attains a predetermined temperature, and an exhaust duct connected to the intake manifold and to the distributor for drawing dehydrated air from the vessel and through the distributor.

2. In an engine of the type having a distributor, an exhaust manifold, and an intake manifold in which a port wliichwopens v'vhe'ri the Valve, attins a predetermiried` temperature, aild. 'established by conveconan; upwardY ow'rof moisture laden 'ar'throughkthetport 

